Dogged Blog

RECALLED: Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula for Cats and Dogs

In a classic Friday night dump and run, Nature's Variety has issued what they called a "Quality Announcement," apparently the term d'jour for pet food manufacturers issuing recalls. They're recalling their Instinct raw organic chicken formula for dogs and cats not, as you might be expecting, for salmonella, but because there may be pieces of plastic in the food.

From their "quality announcement":

Nature’s Variety has announced a voluntary recall of one batch of Instinct® Raw Organic Chicken Formula with a "Best if Used By" date of 10/04/13. This action is being taken because pieces of clear plastic may be found in some bags and could cause a potential choking risk to pets. The source of plastic has been identified and the issue has been resolved.

The affected product is strictly limited to a single batch of Organic Chicken Formula with the “Best if Used By” date of 10/04/13. This includes:

• UPC# 7 69949 60137 1 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula medallions, 3 lbs. bag
• UPC# 7 69949 70137 8 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula medallions, 27 lbs. case
• UPC# 7 69949 60127 2 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula patties, 6 lbs. bag
• UPC# 7 69949 70127 9 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula patties, 36 lbs. case

The "Best if Used By" date is located on the back of the package below the "Contact Us" section. The affected product was distributed through retail stores and internet sales in the United States and Canada. No other products were impacted.

Nature’s Variety became aware of a potential issue after receiving a consumer complaint. The source of the issue was identified and resolved. To date, there have been no reports of harm to dogs or cats.

Read the rest here.

RECALLED: Milo's Kitchen Chicken Jerky, Grillers; Purina's Waggin Train, Canyon Creek Ranch

Milo's Kitchen, owned by by Del Monte, announced today it is recalling its Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers treats from retailers nationwide, due to contamination with antibiotics.

From the company's press release:

On Monday, New York State's Department of Agriculture informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Company that trace amounts of residual antibiotics had been found in several lots of Milo's Kitchen® Chicken Jerky.  After consultation with the New York Department of Agriculture and FDA, the company decided to voluntarily recall Milo's Kitchen® Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers, which are both sourced from the same chicken suppliers.   

The use of antibiotics to keep chickens healthy and disease-free while raising them is standard practice in poultry production for both human and pet food. However, the antibiotics found in the products were unapproved and should not be present in the final food product.

The full release, which includes contact information at the company and directions on how to receive a refund, is here.

UPDATE: Purina has recalled its Waggin Train and Canyon Creek Ranch treats, citing antibiotic residue as well. They also issued a statement insisting the products was safe, despite traces of antibiotics that are not approved in the United States. The treats are made in China. Read more here.

UPDATE: Publix Chicken Tenders Dog Chew Treats, a private label brand sold in the South, have also been recalled for antibiotic contamination. Read more here.

Dog treat manufacturer refuses to recall treats; FDA issues warning

There are good guys and bad guys in the pet food and treat world. The FDA, which sometimes wears a black hat and sometimes a white, today issued a blunt warning about a product manufactured by one of the bad guys: "Don’t feed certain Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog treats," the headline reads. "Product may be contaminated with Salmonella."

You may notice this says "do not feed" rather than "recall alert." That's because the manufacturer of the treats, Kasel Associated Industries, Inc., refused to issue a recall.

Kasel is the manufacturer of several pet treat products plagued with salmonella and recalls this year.

For example, Kasel makes Boots & Barkley American Beef Bully Sticks, American Pig Ears, and American Variety Pack Dog Treats, all of which they voluntarily recalled in September and October, also for salmonella; the Boots & Barkely treats are widely sold through Target stores.

Additionally, the Nature's Deli jerkey treats were voluntarily recalled in October, again for salmonella; these treats were sold primarily through the Sam's Club chains.

In this case, however, the company has declined to issue a voluntary recall. While the FDA technically has mandatory recall authority, they did not use it, instead issuing this warning.

So, you wonder, who are the good guys? In this case, it's Costco, the retail giant that sells the Kasel jerky treats. Costco is working with the FDA to get the product off their shelves -- just as they did during the 2007 pet food recall, unlike many other brands.

By the way, these jerky treats are made in the USA, not China, so this alert is not related to the ongoing problems with imported jerky pet treats.

Read the full alert here, on the FDA website.

Pet food recall: Avoderm dog food

AvoDerm Pet Food issued a recall of its Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula.

According to a notice linked to prominently from the main page of the company's website:

[The company] discovered during our quality testing that a singular, isolated manufacturing batch of AvoDerm Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula (26 lb. bag only) would be required for recall due to possible contamination with Salmonella. These suspected products are identified by “Best by” dates on the suspected products are 28 Aug 2013, 29 Aug 2013, and 30 Aug 2013.

As a result of the quality inspection, we were able to immediately contain the impacted product at distribution centers to prevent it from being delivered to retail outlets.

So... Their own testing, not the FDA's, caught the contamination, which was thus contained at the distributor level. They issued the recall at 10 AM on a Tuesday, not a Friday evening, and they released it on their Facebook page, too.

Sure, in a perfect world the food wouldn't have been contaminated, but in the real world, bad things happen. The test of a company is how they respond to a problem or failure.

Good job, AvoDerm! All that's missing now is a statement of how the contamination happened and what steps you're taking to make sure it won't again, and you'll have handled this recall perfectly -- unlike the vast majority of your competitors.

Full text of recall notice here.

Bil-Jac's Friday night dump 'n' run dog food recall

In a textbook example of the "Friday night dump 'n' run pet food recall," Bil-Jac has announced a recall of some of its dog food for possible mold contamination.

From the company's website:

We have requested that a select number of retailers withdraw one small batch (256 cases) of 6 LB Adult Select Formula Dog Food from their warehouses and stores. We have had a few reports of mold in bags from this batch that was caused by higher moisture content in the food. We know the entire batch has not been affected, but have requested the entire small batch to be removed from warehouses and stores. Only batch number 1792-02 (Expiration 27 DEC 13) is affected, all in only 6 LB bags.

Of course, they call it a "limited product withdrawal," which seems to be the new verbiage of choice now that "voluntary recall" has lost its luster. As to finding their recall notice, well... I'll link to it here, and quote from it, but good luck finding it on their website -- I couldn't. And when I went to their Facebook page to ask about it, it wasn't there either, although their page manager kindly shared it with me.

So I guess that means it's time for Pet Food Recall Management 101:

• Get there first with the recall announcement, instead of letting people find it places like this, where it will be given to them as a criticism of your business practices instead of a vital communication from a trusted brand.
• Announce at the earliest possible moment, not the moment when you believe it will get the least public notice, like late on a Friday afternoon.
• Be honest and open. Don't use weasel words; call it what it is, a recall.
• Accept full responsibility for the problem and assure everyone that you'll find out what happened and take measures to make sure it never happens again once you do. And mean it.
• Post your recall everywhere your customers are, including the front page of your website, points of sale, and social media. Put it out early and often on your own social platforms.
• Don't refuse to answer questions publicly, referring people to an 800 number where the conversation will be hidden.
• Make sure your reps actually have the answers when people call, Tweet, or post.
• Follow through on your investigation and when you've identified the problem, announce that, along with the changes you're making so it doesn't happen again.

That's how you look like a good guy and protect your brand.

You're welcome.

Death, illnesses from salmonella, but no recall

You think the way the pet food industry and FDA handle pet food recalls stinks? Take a walk on the human side, where the Centers for Disease Control have been investigating ground turkey contaminated with salmonella that has caused one death and at least 76 illnesses in 26 states since March, and the government agency still hasn't announced a recall nor identified the producer of the contaminated food.

From the Associated Press:

The illnesses date back to March, and the CDC said Monday that cultures of ground turkey from four retail locations between March 7 and June 27 showed salmonella contamination. The agency said preliminary information showed that three of the samples have been linked to the same production establishment but did not name the retailers or the manufacturers.

The Agriculture Department oversees meat safety and would be the agency to announce a recall. The department sent out an alert about the illnesses late last week telling consumers to properly cook their turkey, which can decrease the chances of salmonella poisoning. But the department has not given consumers any further warnings about the source of the tainted meat.

The USDA has not responded to requests for comment on why there has not been a recall. The CDC said it and the USDA were "vigorously working to identify the specific contaminated product or products that are causing illnesses and will update the public on the progress of this investigation as information becomes available."

Food safety advocate Bill Marler, an attorney who has represented victims of the nation's biggest food-borne illness outbreaks, said he believes the three positive samples should prompt a recall.

"Consumers have no idea what to do except not eat ground turkey," he said.

Remember during the 2007 pet food recall when we kept saying, "If this was people food, you'd be doing a better job?" Not so much.

Read the whole story here.

Aflatoxins found in grains in Kroger-owned pet food plant

Tennessee and federal investigators have found high levels of aflatoxins, a contaminant that can cause serious illness, in grains at the plant where pet food recalled last month were manufactured. The plant is owned by Kroger Co., the grocery chain that sold the food under a variety of labels and from a number of different Kroger-owned retail outlets in 19 states. From The Tennessean:

"We took finished samples and grain samples that were stored and used to make pet food," said Tom Womack, spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, which conducted the inspection with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.



"We did find some elevated levels in some grains stored there," Womack said.



A few days before Christmas, Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. announced the recall of several brands of dog and cat food made at a subsidiary, Delight Products Co., in Springfield because of the possible presence of aflatoxin, a toxic substance created by a fungus on corn and other crops. It can result in sluggishness, severe and bloody diarrhea, and death in animals that eat the tainted food.

Related



The recalled products were sold in 19 states, including Tennessee.



Delight Products remained in operation in the aftermath of the recall, Womack said.

Full story here.



We've had a large number of commentors, most of them first-time visitors to this blog, on our earlier post announcing the recall. It doesn't look like Kroger has been responding to consumer complaints nor requests for assistance with veterinary expenses.



While Pet Connection has not confirmed any of the reports, a number of them concern pets who died after eating the recalled food.



We encourage pet owners to continue to contact Kroger, and to ask their pet's veterinarians to contact their state veterinary office as well as the FDA, which has a pet food safety reporting system here.



And if anyone has heard back from the company, we'd like to hear from you, too!

Kroger recalls Pet Pride, Old Yeller, Value Chunk pet foods for aflatoxin

Been a while since we saw a late Friday night dump-and-run pet food recall!



This weekend it's the grocery store mega-chain, Kroger, recalling dog and cat food sold in Kroger, Dillons, Gerbes, Baker's, Food 4 Less, Jay C, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less, and Scott's stores. From their release:

The Kroger Co. said today it is recalling select packages of pet food sold in some of its retail stores because the products may contain aflatoxin, which poses a health risk to pets.



Kroger stores in the following states are included in this recall:  Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.



The recall also includes Dillons and Gerbes stores in Kansas and Missouri; Baker's stores in Nebraska; Food 4 Less stores in Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana (Chicago area); and Jay C, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's stores in Illinois and Indiana.



Stores the company operates under the following names are not included in this recall: Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, Smith's, QFC, City Market, Foods Co., and Food 4 Less stores in California and Nevada.

I didn't see a link to the recall info on their main page, but if you click on "recalls" in their navigation, it's right there.



List of affected products under the jump.







Kroger is recalling the following items:

• Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111088128



• Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111071357



• Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111088152



• Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111074580



• Pet Pride Kitten Formula Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111071903



• Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 22 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111074566



• Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111074563



• Kroger Value Cat Food sold in 3 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111000018



• Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 15 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111071559



• Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages with a sell by date of OCT 23 11 DP and OCT 24 11 DP under the following UPC code: 1111000108

Another Friday night, another pet food recall: Blue Buffalo again

Yes, it's another Friday night dump-and-run pet food recall, this time from Blue Buffalo. Turns out the culprit in the earlier suspected food-related illness of some dogs eating their food has been identified.



From the company's release, addressed to "Dear Fellow Pet Parent":

At Blue Buffalo, nothing is more important than the health and well being of our dogs and cats, so it’s consistent with this guiding principle that we are voluntarily recalling specific production runs of our Wilderness Chicken-Dog, Basics Salmon-Dog and Large Breed Adult Dog products, as we have reason to believe that the products from these runs may contain a higher level of Vitamin D than is called for in our product specifications.



We came to this conclusion after discovering that our ingredient supplier had made a scheduling error and produced a Vitamin D supplement immediately prior to preparing the ingredients for the BLUE products that are in question. We believe that some of the Vitamin D supplement may have been carried over into our products, resulting in more Vitamin D than is called for in our formulas.



While the potential of increased Vitamin D presents no serious health risk, and any negative reaction to these products has been confined to a very small segment of the canine population who appear to be sensitive to higher levels of Vitamin D, we have a zero tolerance for any product that does not meet our specifications. I think you’ll agree that our decision to withdraw these specific products is simply the right thing to do.



From a next steps standpoint, all products with the specific manufacturing dates in question will be removed from retailer’s shelves. If you have any products with the codes shown below you should stop feeding them immediately.You may call Blue Buffalo at

1-877-523-9114 to arrange for return of the product and reimbursement.



These are the ONLY code dates being recalled:

Product	Bag Size	Best Used By Dates
BLUE Wilderness Chicken (Dog)	4.5 lb., 11 lb., 24lb.	JUL1211B, JUL1311B, JUL2611Z, JUL2711Z, JUL2811Z
BLUE Basics Salmon (Dog)	11 lb., 24 lb.	AUG2111B, AUG2211B
BLUE Large Breed Adult Chicken	30 lb.	SEP 22 11 P, SEP 23 11 P, OCT 26 11 P

The release was signed by Blue Buffalo CEO Bill Bishop, and concludes with this paragraph:

As Blue Buffalo is a family founded and run company, I am personally very upset about this and apologize for any discomfort or inconvenience that this situation has caused you or your pet family members. Product quality and safety have been, and always will be our top priority, and we’ve taken some serious corrective action to insure that this type of human error will never happen again.

The thing is, bad things will inevitably happen, even to good people and good companies. There also has to be good corporate communication, clear and timely. I find it really hard to believe all these things are just coming out on Friday nights by accident.



H/T to powerhouse pet food safety diva Therese Kopiwoda at PetSitUSA.com (who has more info on Vitamin D toxicity and the food at that link), as well as to our own Phyllis deGioia, David Greene and Liz Palika, who were all working on this the minute they saw Therese's post, along with as reader Heather Houlihan, who got it in our comments before I got this post up. I really have to learn to type faster. Great work, everyone!



Update via Gina: Awesome work on this by the veterinarians at the Veterinary Information Network, without whose persistence in following this story the problem might never have been uncovered. Here's the story from the VIN News Service. More than "worth a click."

Get yer pet food marketing messages disguised as blog comments here

Dear Pet Food Marketing Minions.



On behalf of all of us on the Pet Connection team, let me say how honored we are that we're apparently the go-to spot for your astroturf campaign for and against various brands of pet food. Our most recent post about a possible problem with a pet food has attracted an amazing number of posts all startlingly similar in the story they tell.



All these posters have pets who have recently been eating Blue Buffalo and become sick, and gotten well when switched back to their previous food.



This is a fascinating phenomenon, all the more so because the brand of the previous food is different for all these pets. Which tells me that someone -- undoubtedly a highly-qualified veterinary nutritionist with a PhD also in epidemiology and, I presume, an MBA -- has created a "one-size-fits-all" blog comment that can be used equally well by any and all pet food companies to feast on the carcass of whichever one of their competitors is currently going through a recall or other business catastrophe.



I deleted SIX of these posts BEFORE BREAKFAST this morning. (Granted, I am on California time, but still.) I just nuked three more. I let one through with the brand name redacted because I want to respond to something in it. I don't know how many have been caught by Gina or David.



Just do us one favor: Go back to your corporate overlords and tell them it took us 4.3 seconds to figure it out, and we did so because there were 3,456,876 of you all saying the same thing.



And here's a suggestion for them, free of charge: Cancel your social media contract and spend the money making your food safer.



Love and kisses,



The Pet Connection Team